The present invention relates to a dental treatment device, more particularly a device for protecting a tongue as well as for removing liquid in a mouth when grinding a tooth.
When teeth, especially lower teeth are treated, it is preferable to prevent a tongue from moving in a mouth and to cover at least a part of a tongue for protection thereof. If a tongue is moved in a mouth, the tongue may touch a treatment device, so that the tongue may hurt by the device. Particularly, when lower molar teeth are treated, this tongue protection is required. In this respect, it has been practiced that a dentist holds a tongue of a patient by means of a dental mirror having a holding rod with a mirror. Namely, a dentist manipulates the dental mirror to hold and protect a tongue while treatment of a tooth.
Especially, when a tooth is ground, it is required to press a tongue downwardly to prevent the tongue from being hurt by touching to a grinder. Further, when grinding a tooth by a turbine rotating at a high speed, it is required to cool a tooth to be ground by applying water thereto. Otherwise, the high speed grinding of a tooth causes pain to a patient due to frictional heat between the grinder and the tooth. Also, since cooling water is supplied to a tooth to be ground while grinding, it is necessary to remove the cooling water and saliva from a mouth of a patient.
When a tooth is ground, therefore, a dentist manipulates a dental mirror to hold and protect a tongue while grinding a tooth. Also, cooling water and saliva must be removed from a mouth. Generally, an assistant periodically enter a vacuum pipe into a mouth to remove the liquid.
In the conventional method as explained above, there are several drawbacks. Namely, a tongue can not be securely fixed or held by the dental mirror. Therefore, if a tongue is moved, a tongue may touch a grinder and hurt. Also, a tongue can not be properly covered by the dental mirror. Therefore, it a grinder is inadequately moved in a mouth, the grinder may touch a tongue and other tissues to hurt the same. Further, an assistant must be skilled in manipulating the vacuum pipe. In addition, when grinding a tooth, it is required to insert the grinder, mirror and vacuum pipe into a mouth. Therefore, manipulation of these tools is not easy. Also, insertion of these tools into a mouth makes a patient uncomfortable.
In view of the inconveniences and drawbacks of the conventional tools, the present invention has been made.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a dental treatment device for protecting a tongue as well as removing liquid in a mouth.
Another object of the invention is to provide a dental treatment device as stated above, which can be easily manipulated and operated effectively.
A further object of the invention is to provide a dental treatment device as stated above, in which the structure is simple and easily and economically manufactured.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.